Method For Processing Flax Fibre

ABSTRACT

The method of treating the flax fibre consists of cleaning, cottonisation, retting and drying of the raw material, which could be short flax fibre No 2, combing wastes and other wastes. The opening of the flax fibre is carried out 3 times: first before the cleaning, second before the retting, and third after drying, which is done after cottonisation. This is carried out by means of electro-hydraulic treatment to a processed material placed in a liquid. This invention allows for quality improvement of the flax fibres and simplification of the processing.

TEXT OF THE PATENT

1. Sphere of Technology

The invention refers to the textile industry, i.e. methods of flaxfibres treatment.

2. Level of Technology

Out of all the flax fibres produced in Russia, 60-70% is represented byshort flax fibres. The equipment of the cotton and woollen manufacturersis not suited for the processing of flax fibre, as it is, unless it hasbeen put through the cottonisation process, which modifies thecharacteristics of flax fibre, making it more cotton like.

The sequential processing line for treatment of flax fibres (patent RU2109859 D 016 21100, 1998) includes cleaning, opening and cottonisationof flax fibres. Disadvantages of this method are the low quality of thetreated flax fibre and the complication of the treatment method.

OPENING OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the invention is to improve the quality of the treated flaxfibre and simplification of the processing.

Getting rid of the deficiencies of the process stated is achievedthrough adding the retting and drying stages to the original process(cleaning, opening and cottonisation). The opening here is carried out 3times: firstly before the cleaning, secondly before the retting, andfinally after drying which takes place after cottonisation which is doneby means of electro-hydraulic action on the processed material whileplaced in liquid.

THE BEST EXAMPLE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY

The indicated method of flax fibre treatment is implemented on atechnological line shown in FIG. 1.

The initial raw material, which could be short flax fibre No 2, thecombing wastes and other wastes, are loaded into the technological line,where it is being opened by means of the automatic self-feeder—baleopening machine 1, where the fibres taken from the bale are beingopened, and then the opened fibres are fed into the “shaking” machine 2,where the shives and other vegetable matter are partially removed.

Then the fibres are fed into section 3, which consists of thesplitting—loosening—cleaning machine (like type RChK-1), where thefibres are being loosened by the garnitures of the drums and furtherremoval of shives and other vegetable matter is carried out. After thisthe flax fibres are being placed into the connecting feedthrough bath 4,where the fibres are being retted in the liquid.

The wet fibres are then put through the cottonisation process by placingthem into the working chamber 5 , full of liquid (water or cleaningsolution), where the fibres are being treated by electro-hydraulicaction by means of electric discharge between the electrodes. The gapbetween the electrodes should be 80 mm, the output voltage of therectifier-transformer—45 kV, the pulse frequency—1 Hz. As a result theoutput fibres are cottonised with the length of 15-60 mm and the lineardensity of 0.2-0.6 tex. The cottonised fibres are then dried in thedrying chamber 6, after which the final clumps of cottonised fibres arefurther opened on the opening machine 7 (for opening the woollen clumpslike type MARSh-1).

THE INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The flax fibres achieved through this methodology have high levels ofsoftness, light silver colour and characteristics close to cottonfibres. This allows addition of these fibres into the blend on theopening machine on the cotton technological line and production of flaxyarns that can be used to manufacture fabrics.

The Formulae of the Invention

The method of the flax fibres treatment, consisting of cleaning, openingand cottonisation of the fibres, is characterised by additional rettingand drying, where the opening of fibres is carried out 3 times, firstlybefore cleaning, secondly before retting and thirdly after drying whichtakes place after cottonisation which is done by means ofelectro-hydraulic action on the processed material while placed inliquid.

1. A method of flax fibres treatment, having the steps of cleaning, opening and cottonisation of the fibres, characterized by additional retting and drying, where the opening of fibres is carried out 3 times, firstly before cleaning, secondly before retting and thirdly after drying which takes place after cottonisation which is done by means of electro-hydraulic action on the processed material while placed in liquid. 